Kaval is NXT

In case you weren't tuned in to Syfy, Kaval won NXT and will get a PPV match for the title of his choosing. I really could have been happy with any the final three winning NXT Season 2. Kaval has such a different, entertaining style. Alex Riley has the character part down. And, Michael McGillicutty is, well, perfect.

The only question now is does the Nexus get stronger the with finale of another NXT season? Or, could the new crop of guys be the new (and a little more fair) rival to Nexus? Or, is McGillicutty just forming his own group called Genesis?

If they do not follow in the Nexus' footsteps by forming some sort of a team, I do think all three finalists, not just the winner, will find some sort of success in the WWE. Percy Watson is an amazing athlete, and I think TPTB would be foolish not to bring him up to the big show, also. I'm also sure Husky Harris (possibly even with a new name) will end up making the leap, too.

Epic Battle

At the top of the show, the e-mail GM created an epic match for the 900th episode of Raw-- Bret Hart versus the Undertaker-- the two men still around from the first Raw in 1993. Unfortunately, all Hart had to do was lift an eyebrow with Wade Barrett, Kane and then the rest of Nexus interfering (and Hart mysteriously disappearing).

So, let's imagine Hart was healthy enough to wrestle (because I'm thinking that's got to be why he just hung out in the corner for the brief time he was in the ring)...

There were two main moments Taker and Hart met in the ring: In Your House 13 (Feb. 1997) and SummerSlam 1997. In both instances, Hart defeated Taker, winning the WWF Championship.

(At In Your House, the title was vacant. The match was a Four Corners Elimination match also including Stone Cold Steve Austin - Hart rival- and Vader - Taker's rival. Hart and Taker were the final two in the match.)

Tonight's match would have been amazing (because even with Hart's limitations, Taker is an expert at making any match good). And maybe there could have been some interference from Kane, allowing Hart to get the upper hand he possibly wouldn't believably had gotten otherwise. (Each time the lights went out after the first time, I desperately was waiting to see the lights come on to Taker in a Sharpshooter...)

Raw Thoughts

I'm pretty disappointed Sheamus will not be defending his title against only Wade Barrett at Night of Champions. I was excited for those brief seconds that was the match because it was something different and interesting. Then, we got the usual-- indecisiveness on what to do with the stars of the show by throwing them all together in the same match.

The problem with the WWE is they have too many stars, or leads. This is okay when a few are out with injuries, but when just about everyone is healthy, it means we have near battle royals to determine who should be wearing the belt. Either no one is willing to step back and let someone else be in the spotlight, or WWE really has no clue what they want to with their stars.

Whether you like it or not, sports entertainment is a soap opera. In soap operas, there may be the same leads there were 20 years ago, but they step back and rotate who's the lead in the current storyline.

Kinda like what TNA does.

One thing I've noticed this summer is WWE is about the stars and TNA is about the show. WWE thinks you'll watch because you are a John Cena fan, you are waiting for Triple H to return or because it's Raw. TNA wants you to watch because it's going to give you a great show, no matter who's in the starring role that night.

Smackdown, on the other hand, did end on a great note with the debut of Alberto Del Rio. His performance stole the show -- perhaps because he was so fresh -- even though Kane did seem to try for an Emmy nod with his seemingly never-ending speech...

Hardcore Honors

I think it's great that Dixie Carter and TNA are giving ECW the send off it deserved. In fact, it's long overdue. These guys are the innovators of many of today's special matches.

When WWE first had ECW, they had all the ECW guys doing their incredible hardcore matches.

Then, they started taping ECW with Smackdown. Smackdown, probably because of it's earlier start time and more accessible channel, was always a little more softcore and had more kids visiable in the audience. (I have been to both Raw and Smackdown tapings, and did notice the difference in the number of kids in the crowd)

Kids were getting sprayed with beer the Sandman would spray over the audience. Kids would see men get attacked in ways the moms against Linda McMahon running for Senate could never imagine. Something had to change.

Unfortunately, ECW was sacrificed. It became a new "Heat." And then, when ECW was getting replaced with NXT, Tommy Dreamer couldn't bear to stay long enough to see the official end.

WWE should have done what TNA is doing now back in February. One Last Stand... They could have even pulled together a short One Last Stand tour to a few locations, like the Hammerstein Ballroom. It's actually a shame WWE didn't honor ECW properly.

However, TNA's nostalgic honoring is not going to work to draw more long-term viewers to TNA. In fact, it sounds a lot like WCW bringing over all these WWE wrestlers, who yeah, were big names, but also were at the end of their prime run. And, we all know what happened to WCW...

About Me

The Red Mask is a wrestling expert from parts unknown. He lurks under the ring and in the rafters to find news and extras fans want to know. He has been known to put his foes in the anaconda vice to finish them off, and his true identity remains a mystery to this day in the tradition of the great Mexican luchadores.
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